The Falcons are a much different-looking team now than they were six months ago when they fired Arthur Smith.
Atlanta has completely reshaped their defense, the quarterback position, and coaching staff. First, they hired Raheem Morris, who brought Zac Robinson with him from Los Angeles to be the Falcons offensive coordinator.
The biggest domino came shortly after when the club inked Kirk Cousins to a $180 million free agent deal, adding Darnell Mooney as well. After two seasons of atrocious quarterback play, the Falcons weren’t satisfied with an immediate fix to the position. Morris wanted a long-term solution as well.
So, the Falcons shocked the entire NFL world by drafting Michael Penix Jr. to be Cousins’ eventual successor, but perhaps the cherry or cherries on top of the entire offseason came just last week when Atlanta traded for Matthew Judon and signed Justin Simmons.
The offense and defense are balanced, the vibes are immaculate in Flowery Branch, and there’s no reason the Falcons won’t win a terribly weak NFC South. With a little bit of luck, a deep playoff run is within reach… to some.
Not everyone is a believer in what Raheem Morris is building in Atlanta. In a segment on First Take, Dan Orlovsky declared the Falcons legitimate Super Bowl contenders, which Stephen A. Smith took issue.
Stephen A.’s biggest problem with considering the Falcons a serious threat to win a Super Bowl isn’t as outrageous as some of his other takes. Kirk Cousins.
https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1826649635219538178
Kirk Cousins has appeared in five playoff games but has only started four. In those four, he owns a 1-3 record while completing 69% of his passes for 254 yards per contest and seven total touchdowns to only one interception. Those aren’t bad numbers at all.
The knock against Cousins is that he can’t win the big game, and that’s true to this point, but that doesn’t mean he can’t change that narrative if the circumstances are more favorable.
Granted, I’m not going to put my mortgage on the Falcons to win a Super Bowl behind Kirk Cousins; he’s never been the Tom Brady-esque quarterback to perform his best when the lights are brightest. That much is true.
However, if you’re the Falcons, you’re just happy to be back in the conversation, especially with Michael Penix, a much more physically talented quarterback than Cousins, waiting in the wings.
—
Photographer: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.